Automatic stopping and releasing mechanism for phonographs.



yAUTOMATIC STOPPING AMD RELEASING MECHANISWI FOR` PHONOGRAPHS. ABPLlcATloN man APR. n.191?. l

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VV. S'. OBRIEN. ,IIIIIOII-IATIC STDPPING AND HELEASING MECHANISIVI FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7, i917. 9 9' 5 Patented Da. 4,191?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- u 1,111,111,111", nir/11),]

WXLLMM S. WERKEN, F BRXDGEPORT, CUNNJECTICUT.

. AUTOMATIC STOPPING AND RELEASING' MECHANISll/I FOR PHDNRAPEIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. t, tutti..

Application iled april 17, 1917. Serial No. 162,740.

- Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an improvement in Automatic Stopping and Releasing Mechanism for lPhonographs, of which the iollowing is a specication.

rlhis invention relates generally to phonographs, or so-called talking machines, with more particular reference to disk-record phonographs. For a longtime, in connection with the use of machines of this character, it was necessary to anticipate the end of the rendition of a musical or other selection,

, in order that the stylus might be promptlyv withdrawn from the record-disk through the y raising of the sound-box in order to prevent possible mutilation of the end of the' record. lin order to avoid the annoyance and risk of this objectionable feature, mechanisms have been vdevised for automatically stopping rotationy of the turn-table when the end of the record has been reached.

' However, the mere provision oli-automatic braking mechanism for the turn-table does not accomplish all that might be desired, in view of the fact that the stylus-point remains pressed upon the record under the weight of the sound-box, under which conditions there still remains danger of mutilation of the record in manually withdrawing the sound-box or through the accidental starting of the machine.

'llhe principal object of the present invention isthe provision of mechanism in connection with a disk-record phonograph for lautomatically withdrawing the sounddoox with its stylus from the record disk when the end of the record has been reached, irrespective of the length of the record, at the 'same time causing the t0nearm to swing back to its initial position and during such operation apply a suitable brake to sto r0- tation of the turn-table, leaving all o the parts in position for the replacement of a record and the setting of the -tone-arm, sound-box and stylus for the rendition of a new selection, thereby automatically releasingthe turn-table brake and permitting the same to start under action of a motor.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view ot asdisk record phonograph embodying my invention, with thetonearm and sound-bcx in starting position;

Fig 2 is 4a similar view of the same, the tone-arm having been moved to the end of the record and the sound-box having been swung to its raised position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the saine, with the tone-arm and sound-box returned to initial positions;

Fig. i is an enlarged perspective view ot the end portion of the tone-arm, with the sound-box in raised position;

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the soundboX in. operative position F ig. 6 is a fragmentary inverted plan View of the end portion of the tone-arm, showing the sound-box latehing and releasing mechanism Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, taken suhstantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. i;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sections, taken substantially on'tlie lines 8 8, 9--9 and 10-10, respectively, of Fig. 7;

Figs. 11 and 12 are reduced fragmentary plan views of the machine, partly in section through the vertical portion oi the tonearm;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged section, talren substantially on the line`l3-l3 of Fig. il;

Fig. 14; is an'enlarged section, taken substantially on the line lei- 14C of-Fig. 1Q;

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Fig. l5 is an enlarged section, takensubstantially on the line 15--15 of F ig. 11;

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a separate latch-tripping device adapted to he used with ordinary recorddisks not especially' equipped with the tripping lug shown in coni nection with the preferred construction;

Fig. 17 is a similar view oli' the same, in verted, with a portieri of the bottom plate broken away, and

Fig. 18 is a :fragmentary perspective view of the machine equipped with the auxiliary device shown in Figs. 16 and 17 and illustrating the application of the same.

Referring now to the drawings in detail numeral 21 designates the case or cabinet oi a phonograph or talking machine, equipped in the usual manner with the sound-amplitying compartment and motor (not shown),

and with the exterior sound tube 22 and the turn-table 23 rotated in the usual manner from the motor. Swiveled in the upperv end lli@ of the sound-tube 22, in the usual manner, l

4is the tone-arm 2li carrying at its end the transverse'iy disposed sonno tube with its goose-neck 25 swireled thereto in the usual manner, the be ing mounted in the usual meneer at theend 'of the goose-neck 25.

4When the machine is ont of use, the ere in the positions indico-,ted in an 12, the sound-bon 2i? in its nos sition, Where it is checked in the usuel man ner with stylus 28 cicero' the record disk 29 on the turn-table, the tone-arm. 24 also swung clear or the record-dish to ia ciiitete removal and rta-placement of the same. Mounted inthe interior of the ver tical portion of the tone-arm 24, in substan tielly diametrical disposition, is the leven arm 3Q which is adopted to engage the transversely disposed arm 3i at the end the roch-ber 32 journaled in the bearing-- tube 33 suitabiy mounted upon 'the top or the cabinet 21. The other end or the roesbar 32 projects underneath the edge ofi the turn-table, Where it is provided with a heed 34 which includes e lug 35 between which and ay suitable anchorage on the ltop of the eebinet-such'as the screw-eye. 36e-a. spring 37 is tensioned, and a suitable seet or socket for the reception and retention of s smell block 3.8 of mate iai possessnig .a compera.-

boXQ'? to such positior tively high'co-etiicient or friction-euch es ber, leather or the lilrethis biock being adapted to impinge against the bottom fece of the turn-table 23, when the bar 32 is perniitted to oscillate under induence of the spring 3'?, and operate es a brake to cheek moyement of said tuin-table. When the 'parte ere in the positions shore/n in Figs. 3 .and l2, the block 38 has been broughtby theyspring 3'? to breidt-ag position, and the arm 3l of the rock-ber 32 is in position to be immediately engaged by the lever-erm 30. A disk-'record having been properly posi tioned upon the turn-table, the soundiex 27 is now set in the usuel manner by swinging the tone-erm 24 an f" oufering; 'the sound that the sty'ius 28 will register with the outer groove of record. bviously, this will cause the leverWN erm 30 to actnetethe arm 3i and es iste the roch-bar against the action of the spring 37 to depress the bloeit 38 and. release the turn-table 23, which et once starts to revolve under action of the The proeess of sound reproduction is new ca lcd. out in precisely the saine manner as in any coinmon end Well-lmown machine of this gea eral character.

Projecting from the end of the gooseneck 26 Within the sound-box tube 25, and preferably secured Within a reduced portion of said goose-neck at this end thereoie by means of the pin 39, is the shaft 40, which extends ception and retention of the thumonut 4.2. letween this thunibmut 42 and the cap 4.1 is interposed a friction disk or Washer 43 to yieldingly resist rotation of scid shaft, and therefore of seid goose-neck, Within the tube 25, the degree of: resistance being regulated by means of the thumb-nut 42 and being retained at a point insuiicient to overcome l the force of the coii-spring 44 mounted within the spring-cage 45. This spring-cage 45 comprises an inner tube46 and an outer tube. 47. The inner end of the inner' tube 46 is provided with a series of notches 48 48, each adapted to be engaged by a. pin 49 on the 'shaft 40, and the inner end of the outertube 4? is similarly provided' with a seriesy of notches 5() 50, eschedapted to be engaged by e lug 5l on the inner 'face of the soundbon tube- The ends of the coil-spring 44 are secured, respectively, to the inner tube y46 and the outer tube 47 of the spring-cage,

Vshown in. Fig. 4, but in a yielding and what may be termed a cushioned manner.

Movement of the goosenech 26 under action of the spring 44 is checked, With the 100 sound-box 27 in its raised position, by means of 'pin 52 in a partition in the sound-box tube 25, which engsges a shoulder 54 at the end ott a circular cut-out portion 55 in the end oif the gooseY eck 2G. The outer tube 47 105 of the spring-c, D.. may' be provided with a partition and the end of the sound-box tube with an apertured Washer 57 in order to completely incase or inclose the spring 44.

ilpou the lower side oi the sound-box tube i. provide a boss 58, grooved for the reception of the lever-arm 59 which is pivoted at 60 and forms what might be termed en nsion of the tone-arni 24. Thislevcr- 115 erm. 59 has a slight oscillatory movement about the pivot 6G which is limited by the screw-pin in the slot S2. A. leaf-spring G3 secured to one side oit the boss 58k yieldingly re .ns the lever-erm 59 in one posi- 120 tion of osciilation, and for a purpose hereinafter explained. in order to simplify description, l here hereinbeiore referred to the goose-neck 26 as en entity. As a matter of fact, in the machine of my invention, it 125 should comprise two parts having a swivel connection at 64, whereby the curved portion thereof has a slight freedom of rotary movement relative to the straight portion thereofv This moy be accomplished as 180 chine thesound-box may be grasped in the sound-box 27 in the usual manner..

\ inname v tt dieated in Fig. 7 by telescopingthese parts and mounting. in the'inner part a pin 65 which passescompletely through the same .and projects on both` sides intoy suitable slots n 36 1n the outer part, thus alsolimiting relativ:. rotation of. said parts to acompara.-

tively small are. At the end oijthe'straight ortion oi the-goose-neck 26` 'l provide a 'ug 67 which has al catch or shoulder 68 adapted to pass vunder and engage the leverarm 59 when the goose-neck 26 has been suciently depressed. These parts are so relatively posltioned that when the leverarm 59 has been engaged by the catch 68, the

curved portion of the goose-neck 26 is stilll downwardly rotatable through a slight arc, so that the stylus point is properly retained in the record groove by the weight ot' the llt will be seen, therefore, that in starting the ma-l usual manner, the tone-arm swung to approximately proper position, the sound-box avided with an upwardly-projecting lug 69 (Figs. 1,2. and 3) formed upon the saine in ahydesired manner when the dislr is made and so positioned as to engage the end ot the-arm 59 when the end of the record is` reached. (lbviously, this engagement will yedect movement ot the arm v59 against the action of the spring 63 to release the catch '66, whereupon-under action ot the springddf-the goose-neck 26 will be rotated to raise the sound-bon 27 to the position indicated in lFig. t, clear oi the record dislr. ln the meantime, movement of the tone-arm ;.24f..has stored energy in the spring 37, and

upon release of the stylus point this spring l operates to rock the bar 32 and through en- .ga-gement between the arms 30 and 3l return the tone-arm 24 to initial position-in which position movement thereof is checked by a suitable stop 70-and at the same time raise the bloei-.r 38 to contact with the lower face oi the turn-table 23 where it operates as a brake to stop movement of said turn- .table Any ordinary and standard dish-record'. oi commerce may beused in connection with y the Vmachine of my invention through.. the employment of an auxiliary or supplemental device such as that shown in llligs. 16,17

and 'lt-8. This auxiliary or supplemental deprojecting end 73 ot the turn-table lshart, so that the. housing or casing will lie dat t uponthe record-disk in concentric position and be Y retained y"in such ,ositiom Within thishousing isfmountedt e ratchet-bar 74 `having slide 4rbearings in the bracket 75 and adaptedy to be reciprocated i longitudinally byL means of the pinion 7 6 whichhas suitable connection with the thumb-nut 77, exterior oi the casing or housing, whereby sai pinion'maybe turnedv to reciprocate Said ratchetbar 74. 'llhe exterior end of the bar 7d ispreierably bent to provide a head adapted tol engage the'` arm 59 in a manner precisely similar to the anner in which the latter is engaged. by the lug 69 on the disk-record 29 in the preterredv constructiom'thus tripping said arm and causing the raising of the lsound-boli and'rearward swinging ot the tone-arm in the mane ner heretofore described.

chaser or user of the record and noted thereon, and ll have shown the ratchet-bar 7d provided with a scale 7 8 graduated to correspond with these varying distances, whereby by turning the thumb-nut 77 the bar 74:

may be properly set to trip the arm 59 at the end ofthe record. Furthermore, employment ci this auxiliary 'or supplemental device enables the operator ot the machine to stop the rendition of a selection short of the end thereof and at` substantially any desired point therein--always insuring the raising of the sound-bomswingin of the tone-arm to initial position, and bra t the turn-table.

-Many modifications oi my improved controlling mechanism for phonographs will doubtless readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which the improvements appertain, and l therefore do not desire to limit my invention to the specic constructions herein shown and described;

ll claim as new and desire to secure by llietters Patent: y

l. ln' av disk-record phonograph, the combination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turn-table, and a sound-bon mounted at the rend. ot said tone-arm to swing vertically between operative and inoperative positions, ot means for yieldingly pressi said toneI arm` in a direction away from thecenter ot said-turntable, a stop Ator checliing moi :If ment ot said tone-arm under action oil said pressing means, means torV 'eldingly prees ingI said soundbon to inoperative positionq means'- torretaining said soundbor` in operativeposition' under action et its: pressing lith llltl rit means, and means for releasing said retaining means at a predetermined point in the path of movement` of said tone-arm, whereby said sound-box is swung to inoperative positionand said tone-arm to engagement with said stop.

2. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearml swiveled to swing horizontally over 'said turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone-arm to swing vertically between operative and inoperative positions, of means for yieldingly pressing said tonearm in a direction away from the center of said turn-table, means interposed in said pressing means for braking said turn-table at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm, a stop for checking movement of said'tone-arm under action of said pressing means, means for yieldingly pressing said sound-box to inoperative position, means for retaining saidv sound-box in operative position under action of its pressing means, and means for releasing said retaining means at arpredetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm,

whereby said sound-box is swung to inoper-` ative position and said tone-arm to engagement withV said stop. 3. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination, with the driven turn-table a tonearm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turntable, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone-arm to swing vertically between operative and inoperative positions, of means for yieldingly pressing said tonearm in a direction away from the center of said turn-table, la stop for checking movement of said tone-arm under action of said pressing means, means for. yieldingly pressing said sound-box to inoperative position, means for checking said 'last-mentioned pressing means with said sound-box in operative position, said sound-box being mounted for slight swin g movement independent of said checking means whereby it is supported through the stylus therein upon the record on said turn-table under action of gravity, and means for releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm toward the center ofsa-id turn-table, whereby said sound-box is swung to inoperative posivtion and said tone-arm to engagement with said stop.

4. In a disk-record phonograph the combination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone-arm to swingvertically between operative and inoperative positions,

' of Ameans for yieldingly pressing said tonearm in a direction away from the center of said turn-table, means interposed in said pressing means for braking said turn-table 65 i at a predetermined point in the path of -of gravity, and means for releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the path' of movement of said tone-arm toward the center of said turn-table, whereby said sound-box is swung to inoperative position and said tone-arm to engagement with said stop.

5. In a disk-record phonograph, the com bination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearm swiveledto swing horizontally over said turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of saidtone-arm to swing vertically 'between operative and inoperative positions,

of means for yieldingly pressing said soundbox to' inoperative position, means for retaining said sound-box in operative position under action of said pressing means, and means for releasing said retaining means at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm whereby said soundboX is automatically swung to inoperative position at said point.

6. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination, with the driven turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone- 'arm to swing vertically between operative and inoperative positions, of .means for yieldingly pressing said sound-box in inoperative position, means for checking said pressing means with said sound-box in operative position, said sound-box bein mounted for slight swinging 'movement in ependent of said checking means whereby it is supported through the stylus therein upon the record on said turn-table under action of gravity, and means for releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm toward the center of the turn-table, whereby said sound-box is automatically swung to inoperative position at said point.

7. In a disk-record phonograph the combination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearm swiveled to swing horizontallyq over said turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone-arm to swing vertically between operative and inoperative positions, of a rock-bar, a spring mounted to rock said bar in one direction, a crank-arm on said bar, a lever-arm associated with said tonearm and adapted to engage saidcrank-arm raieea Upon movement of said tone-arm toward the center of the turn-table and thereby rock said bar against the action of said spring, and a brake-shoe -mounted on said rock-bar and adapted to impinge against said turntable at a certain point in the path of movement of said rock-bar under action of its spring.

8. ln a disk-record phonograph, the combination, with the driven turn-table, a tonearm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turn-table, a sound-box arm mounted at the end of said tone-arm, said sound-box arm including a straight portion and a curved portion swiveled therein, and a sound-box at the end of said curved portion, of a spring interposedbetween said straight and curved portions to yieldingly oscillate said curved portion in one direction, means for checkin-g said curved portion against movement under action of said spring, and means for releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the'path of movement oi said tone-arm toward the" center of said turn-table.

9. In a disk-.record phonograph, the combination, withtheggdriven turn-table, a tone- Y arm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turn-table, a sound-box arm mounted at the eef end ofsaidr tone-arm, said sound-box arm including a straightportion and a curved portion swiveled therein, and a sound-box atthe end of said curved portion, of a spring interposed between said straight and curved portions to yieldingly oscillate said curved portion in one dire/ction, meansfor checldng said curved portion against movement-under action. of said spring, means for'releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tonearm toward-the center of said turn-table, a rock-bar, 4a spring mounted to rock said bar in one direction, a crank-'arm on said bar, anda lever-arm associated with said tone-arm and adapted to yengage said crank-arm upon movement of said tone-arm toward the center of the turn-tahle and thereby rock said bar against the action of said spring.

10. In a disk-record phonograph, the oombination, with the driven turn-table, a tone-l arm swiveled to swing horizontally over said turn-table, and a sound-box mounted at the end of said tone-arm to swing vertically loetween operative and inoperative positions,`

of a rock-bar, a spring mounted to rock said bar in one directin, a crank-arm on said bar, and a lever-arm associated with said tone-arm and adapted to engage said crankrock said bar against the action ot said portion swiveled therein, and a sound-box at the end of said curved portion of a spring interposed between said straight and curved portions to yieldinglyl oscillate said curved portion in one direction, means'for checking said curved portion against movement under action of said spring, means for releasing said checking means at a predetermined point in the path of movement of said tone-arm toward the 'center of said turntable, al rock-bar, a spring mounted to roch said bar in one direction, al crank-arm on said bar, a lever-arm associated with said tone-arm and adapted to engage said crankarm upon movement of said tone-arm to ward the center of the turn-table and thereby rock said liar against the action of said spring, and a brake-shoe mounted` onsaid rock-bar and adapted to impinge against said turn-table at a certain point in the path of movement of said rock-bar under action of its spring.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

WlFLlLli S. BRIEN. 

